Into the Dark
by SubtlePen
Summary: Death comes to us all. For some, it is an end. For others, it is only the beginning. Bella faces hers comforted by her love for Edward, and the promise of an eternity in his arms. Bella/Edward. *NOT* A FLUFFY FIC. ANGST. DARK.


**_**This is not a fluffy happy-time story _****

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, or any of the characters created by Stephenie Meyer. I do not make any money from the writing of this story._

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~*~ Bella Cullen ~*~

I felt the fire in my veins, and it was only a matter of time. He'd also felt his life ebbing away. The thought of him in pain, suffering, not knowing what was to come, left me torn to shreds. No matter who stood at his side when it happened, I knew he'd crossed into the dark alone. I had the peace of knowing what awaited me on the other side. I knew I would see his face again, and be in his arms, and that nothing would come between us ever again. We'd be invincible, together, forever.

How long would it take? In those moments before I lost consciousness, I remembered everything, saw it all playing before me, image after image, memory after memory, emotions, events, sensations.

…the first day I laid eyes on him, across the crowded cafeteria, aloof and apart. I knew then he was special, magical even. I saw something , beyond the allure of his physical beauty... something in his dark amber eyes, in the questioning way he looked at me, a sort of simmering intensity I'd never seen before. It spoke to me, called to me like a drug.

…the time he found me in Port Angeles, swooped in out of nowhere and rescued me from men who would surely have done to me what was done to Rosalie.

_Rosalie._

I swallowed and pushed the thought away.

I remembered our first kiss, so gentle and cautious, so full of hope and promise. That anyone could ever see him as evil, as a killer… He was never that, to me. I could still feel his hands on my face, in my hair, and his soft, anxious breath as he inched closer. His tender declarations, his hesitant but needful touch.

I remembered how his family embraced me, welcomed me amongst them, welcomed me to a world I never imagined could be real, let alone mine.

I remembered Alice's unwavering love and friendship… and kind, but damaged, Jasper. He was loyal to a fault, laying down everything he was, everything he knew, for the family that had 'adopted' him.

I remembered the horrible black period after Edward left me. The thought of Felix and Demitri at his side, keeping him from me, a blatant reminder of our tenuous position… I remembered the terrible things that had happened to Rose and Emmett, to Jasper and Alice, the things Edward himself had done, the lives he'd taken. He was righteous in my eyes, even still.

I remembered our wedding, simple and elegant, surrounded by our family in Carlisle and Esme's living room. We were so young, barely out of high school. I thought of our honeymoon, the ghastly flights that led us to Brazil, and the incredible night we finally made love in Esme's beach house. He'd been so cautious, always – so careful to protect me from harm, so fearful even of his own desires – even though I knew in my heart and soul he could never hurt me. Once he allowed himself to trust, once we touched each other as a man and woman, nothing else in the world mattered. I thought of his mouth on mine, his hands on my breasts, his hard sex finally entering me, piercing my body, making me his, only his, ever his. I forced myself to remember every moment of ecstasy, committing them to memory so that no matter what happened, I would always have them with me, my memories of those blinding days of joy. It was bliss, a brilliant spark of perfection. We were passionate and free and united, and it was all too brief.

I lay there, the fire consuming me, minutes? Hours? How long until it was over, until I was finally claimed? I welcomed the end, because it wasn't truly an ending. A part of me feared the dark, but a greater part welcomed it, welcomed becoming something more than a mortal body and a transient soul. I stepped into the dark, willingly, joyfully, and allowed myself to weep for the past. I wept for Rose, for what had been done to her, and for Emmett, who had to live with it in his mind, forever. I wept for Carlisle and Esme, for their love for each other and their children, for all the sacrifices they'd made, all the love they'd given, even in Edward's darkest days, he was always loved. I wept for my dearest Alice, for all she'd endured and seen, for standing by Jasper, having faith in him, for loving me, and Edward, even when it tore her and Jasper apart. I allowed myself to weep, knowing they'd earned my tears, knowing they were justified. Finally, at the end of my life, I allowed myself to grieve, and it gave me peace.

He would never feel the heat of my touch again, never again smell the scent that sung to him. I remembered the last time I touched him, and shuddered. Cold, hard. Soon, I hoped, that memory would be gone, and his arms would be around me once more; warm, this time, warm and strong and eternal.

I focused on this; our immortal love, the life we shared, and eternity before us, as he waited for me to emerge on the other side of darkness.

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~*~

via Reuters News Service

September 10, 2003

Seattle, Washington

Notorious serial killer Edward Cullen, 53, was executed today by lethal injection early this morning in Seattle WA. Cullen was given the injection at 12:36 a.m. and pronounced dead eleven minutes later. Cullen's fate was sealed after the Washington Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court turned down several appeals filed by Cullen's attorney, Tanya McKinley, and Gov. Gary Locke denied a clemency request. An emergency request for a stay, filed around 10:30 p.m., was denied by Washington's high court about 90 minutes later.

The execution was witnessed by Attorney General Jane DeVolturi, defense attorneys Tanya McKinley and Jacob Black, members of the media, Cullen's long time prison guards Felix Gordon and Demitri Hunter, and the families of four of his victims. Cullen's family participated in a candlelight vigil held outside the prison, but his wife was not present.

Cullen was convicted in 1985 of killing 14 men between March and July, 1980. At the time, Cullen justified his crimes claiming he only killed 'bad men' he perceived guilty of harming women. The Cullen name first came to the national spotlight after the home invasion rape and murder of his sister, aspiring actress Rosalie Hale in January, 1980. Hale's husband, noted outdoorsman Emmett McCarty, was also seriously wounded in the attack.

During his trial, Cullen's defense team claimed that, after his sister's murder, he suffered a psychotic break, believing himself an immortal being that was above the law, fated to rid the world of rapists and murderers. All of Cullen's victims had a history of violent crime, leading the prosecution to conclude that Cullen had targeted his victims. Cullen was convicted on all counts in November of 1985 and sentenced to death.

Cullen is survived by his parents, noted area trauma surgeon Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme, his brother-in-law Emmett McCarty, and his wife Isabella, who was unavailable for comment. The couple had no children.

Cullen's accomplice, Jasper Whitlock, is serving a life sentence for his part in the murders. The whereabouts of his wife, Alice Whitlock, who was briefly committed to a psychiatric facility shortly after his conviction, were unknown at the time of publication.

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~*~

via Reuters News Service

September 13, 2003

Seattle, Washington

Isabella Cullen, 52, widow of serial killer Edward Cullen and daughter of retired Clallam County Sheriff Charles Swan, was found dead in her Seattle home this morning of an apparent overdose. Edward Cullen was executed earlier this week for the murders of 14 men in 1980. Neighbors stated that Mrs. Cullen had been reclusive in the weeks leading up to her husband's execution, and their repeated attempts to contact her in recent days had been unsuccessful. The Cullen family could not be reached for comment.

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to answer a few recurring questions - yes, all human. BPOV is her recounting her own death. this is a one-shot, and it is complete.

my darling tby789 asked when i was gonna write another something twisty, but i'm not sure if this is quite what she had in mind. i love her anyway.

Thanks so much to breeze1213 and miztrezboo for their generous advice and red-pen action, and for stroking my ego. oooh... yeah. just like that... mmm.

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it wasn't my intent to write a political statement with this story, but it seems we always manage to romanticize canon edward's deeds when he wasn't following a vegetarian lifestyle... he murdered people.

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not everyone believes in the death penalty. educate yourself.

http://en (dot) wikipedia (dot) org/wiki/Capital_punishment

http://www (dot) amnestyusa (dot) org

http://www (dot) deathpenaltyinfo (dot) org

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thank you for reading.


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